Volkswacht Bodensee - Germany holds breath as stranded whale 'Timmy' sets off in barge

Rescuers had earlier succeeded in coaxing the animal into the barge, which has a water-filled hold and is usually used to carry other boats, in an attempt to return it to its natural habitat.

The whale, dubbed "Timmy" by German media, and its ordeal have gripped the country since it beached on a sandbank in late March near the city of Luebeck on the Baltic Sea coast, far from its natural home in the Atlantic Ocean.

The latest rescue effort -- financed by two entrepreneurs -- was seen as a long shot and has been criticised by experts who said it would only cause the animal more distress.

But the plan looked like it could beat the odds as the barge set off from the island of Poel, live images showed.

Earlier, rescuers attached straps to the whale and heaved the creature down a channel that had been specially dug in the sand to allow it to reach the barge.

After some distance, the whale, with rescuers swimming alongside it, sped up and then swam into the barge, sparking cheers of delight from the rescue team and others watching from the shore.

"I can't even say how happy I am," Karin Walter-Mommert, one of the entrepreneurs financing the rescue bid, told newspaper Bild.

"You could see that the whale fought and wanted to live. Knowing he's now in the barge is simply wonderful and shows that the fight for Timmy was worth it."

- Fighting the odds -

The plan is now for the barge to be transported to the North Sea, and for the whale to be released if it is strong enough.

A piece of green netting is being used to close the entrance to the barge so the whale does not swim out.

Till Backhaus, environment minister for the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, earlier told reporters: "We have worked here day and night, and in the end we have saved this animal."

Backhaus gave the green light for the mission to proceed after vets said the whale was fit to be transported.

The animal was first spotted stuck on a sandbank on March 23 before freeing itself and then becoming stuck again several times.

Various attempts were initially made to free it, including by digging channels for it to swim down, but all failed.

At the start of April, officials gave up on trying to rescue the whale, saying they believed it could not be saved.

But this triggered an outcry and authorities were persuaded to let the entrepreneurs come up with a rescue plan.

The barge idea was hatched after their initial attempt to save the whale with inflatable cushions and pontoons was unsuccessful.

Some scientists had strongly criticised the decision to allow further rescue bids, believing they would be too risky for the whale and estimating the chances of success as low.

- 'Definitely worth it' -

Backhaus defended the rescue, saying it was "definitely worth it".

"I've always said, those who do nothing make no mistakes," he added.

If only the "scientists (who) said it was all pointless... had seen the young (whale) now, how he swam into the barge all by himself", he told reporters.

Backhaus also defended himself against criticism in a written statement, insisting that "in making our decisions, we have always relied on science".

"No one could tell us with certainty that the whale would die, and when. On the basis of these vague statements, we decided to tolerate the rescue attempt," he said.

The saga has sparked a media frenzy -- with non-stop coverage from TV channels, online outlets and social media influencers -- but has also led to angry spats and conspiracy theories.

L.Wyss--VB